If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

I usually just save a cell from a previous batch, or I save it from swarm cells. It's then thinned out with distilled water so it really goes a long way. Failing that, some just use honey (thined with water) or just water.

According to what I read in the bee books, royal jelly given by the bees changes over time according to the ages of the queen larvae. So, what is gathered from an older queen larva may not be acceptable for priming a newly hatched larva.

i've been using the chinese grafting needle. if the larva you are grafting is comes from a well fed hive(lots of pollen, honey, feeding on surgar syrup, ect) those larva will be swimming in brood food. it's nice to have the brood food covering the entire cell and deeply too. there is no need to prime then when using the chinese grafting needle as the needle will scoop a pool of fresh brood food with the larva on top. ive had a lot of success with using the chinese needle and feeding my breeders excesivly before grafting.

i primed cells once when i was using a strait needle, i never did like it though.

Royal Jelly is made by worker bees in the hive. It is a veritable powerhouse of nutrients: all the B vitamins, vitamins A, C, D, E and K, more than a dozen key minerals, 18 amino acids, and other important constituents.
Royal Jelly is a milk-like secretion made by worker bees in the hive. It is so named because it serves as the sole food for the queen bee. It supplies all the B vitamins, vitamins A, C, D, E and K, more than a dozen key minerals, 18 amino acids, and other important constituents, including nucleic acids (DNA and RNA).
Bee products may cause an allergic reaction in some people. Discontinue use if this occurs. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, consult your health care professional before using this product.

According to that document vitamins A,D,E, and K are absent from royal jelly. Vitamin C occurs only in trace amounts (again, according to the document I listed). The book also goes into a bit of discussion about the supposed health benefits human derive from taking royal jelly.